Article handling apparatus



March 25, 1941. J. N. SELVIG ET AL 2.236.010

ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 29, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet l FIG. I

INVENTORS J. N. SELVIG By J.E. WILTPA K/S A T TORNEY JIM March 25, 1941. J. N. SELVIG ETI'AL ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 29, 1938 3 SheetsSheet 2 FIG. J

FIG. 4

FIG 5 imm pen March 25, 1941. J. N. SELVIG EI'AL 2,236,010

ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 29. 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 A TTDR/VEV FIG. 7

Patented Mar. 25, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS Application October 29, 1938, SerialNo. 237,620

8 Claims.

This invention relates to an article handling apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus for Lip-ending heavy articles.

In handling wire during the manufacture thereof the wire is frequently wound upon spools or reels during the various drawing operations and in some instances the filled reels or spools are of such weight that, although they may be moved from place to place by rolling, it is very difilcult to manually up-end them to position them for further reduction of the wire thereon.

An objectof the invention is to provide a simple, efficient and practical apparatus for handling heavy articles.

With this and other objects in view, one embodiment of the invention comprises article supporting elements movable about a common axis by a lifting mechanism connected thereto to move one element, with an article disposed thereon in one position, to tilt the article beyond the center of gravity and position the other element to receive the article and move it into another position.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of one embodiment of the invention illustrating one position of the supporting elements;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 1 illustrating another position of the supporting elements;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the supporting elements, the view being taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; r

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional vie taken along the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary detailed views illustrating another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. '7 is a front elevational view of still an other embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 8 is an end elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 7.

The present embodiments of the invention are designed to provide means for lip-ending heavy reels of the type indicated at I0 which in the present instance when filled with wire weigh approximately one thousand pounds. The wire is placed upon the reels at one location and it is necessary in order to further reduce the wire to transport the reels from the position where they receive the wire to the machine where the wire is to be reduced. The reels may be moved to a position adjacent the Wire working or drawing machine manually by rolling the reels on their heads but the reels must be up-ended so that the wire may be withdrawn therefrom during the wire drawing operation. It is not possible to manually up-end the reels without danger to the person or persons attempting to do so and without danger of destruction to the reels and disturbance and possible entanglement of the wire onthe reels.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, numeral I I designates a floor which is mounted upon a sub-flooring l2 and cut away at l3 to provide a cavity or recess of sufiicient dimensions to receive supporting elements It and I5 and their pivotal 15 bearing l6. Disposed in the recess I3 upon one side of the bearing I 6 is a train of rollers [8 extending beneath the space for the supporting element l5 and continuing therebyond as illustrated in Fig. 3 to provide means for moving the reels I0 in the direction of a wire drawing machine (not shown) and to position the reels free of the supporting element lb. The train of rollers may be of any well known structure and the rollers therein may be positioned as desired, for example as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

The supporting elements I4 and I5 are substantially identical in construction and in the present instance are castings substantially square in general contour having inter-engaging projections 22 at their inner ends. These projections throughout their width and throughout the combined width of all of the projections have integral portions 23 with arcuate under surfaces forming a series of semi-cylindrical pivotal portions which rest in a semi-cylindrical recess 24 in the bearing IS. The supporting elements [4 and iii are reenforced along their under surfaces by longitudinally extending integral ribs 21, these ribs extending from the outer edges of the elements to certain of the pivotal portions 23, where the bearing l G is cut away to receive them. Apertures 28 and 29 are formed in the supporting elements, these apertures in the supporting element l5 being utilized to allow sufficient clearance for the projection of the rollers [23 therethrough when in the operative position shown in Fig. 1. The apertures 28 and 29 also serve to reduce the weight of the elements, this being the only purpose for the aperture 29 of the element l4, whereas the aperture 28 thereof is positioned so as to allow the outer head of one of the reels ID to drop therein a slight distance, tending to hold the reel against further rolling movement and to locate the reels in a proper position for Lip-ending. To prevent movement of a reel beyond the desired position upon the element I4 stops 39 may be mounted upon the element [4 in alignment with the heads of an incoming reel. To further assist in locating a reel upon the element I l a guide 3| is mounted upon the element at an angle as shown. To prevent lateral displacement of the elements relative to their bearing 16 the ends of the bearing are closed as at 32 in Fig. 3. To further assure against displacement of the elements, especially during loading and unloading, lugs 33, substantially square in cross-section, are receivable in similarly shaped apertures in the elements.

The present problem is to up-end a. reel in from the solid line or rolling position shown in Fig. l to the up-ended or vertical position shown in dotted lines in this figure. In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive this is accomplished by means of a pneumatic hoist consisting of a cylinder 35 pivotally supported at 35 by a bracket 31, the latter being fixed to the ceiling 38. The pneumatic hoist also includes a piston of a suitable type (not shown) disposed in the cylinder and controlled through a fluid supply line it connected to a suitable supply and control means (not shown). A piston rod ii controlled by the piston is reciprocally mounted in a head Q2 of the cylinder 35 and has adjustably mounted thereupon a. stop or control member id to limit the upward movement of the rod. The rod 4-! is connected to the supporting elements i i and I5 by suitable means which in the present instance consistsof a cable 45 looped through an eyelet 6 mounted upon the lower end of the rod and having adjacent portions therebeneath secured by means of a clamp 41 to prevent the cable from slipping. Downwardly extending portions 49 and 5!] of the cable have their lower ends connected, as shown, by the aid of links 5! to eyelets, or other suitable means, 52 secured adjacent the centers of the outer extremities of the supporting elements l4 and I5. Due to the extreme length of the-apparatus including the mounting oi the supporting elements so that their upper surfaces will-be at floor level and supporting the lifting means from the celling it is not possible to show afull unbroken viewof this embodiment of the apparatus on the drawings. It should be understood, however, that the portion 19 of the cable is shorter in length than the portion 56 so that when the rod M is moved upwardly to move the elements 14 and it into the position shown in Fig. 2 the reel will be moved beyond the center of gravity before the element l 5 engages the lower head of the reel.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: With the supporting elements in their normal positions shown in Fig. 1 a reel I may be rolled upon the element M, guided in its movement by the guide 3 i, and limited in its rollingmovement by the stops St to cause the outer head of the reel to come to a stop in the aperture 28 of the element When thus positioned the outer edge of the inner head of the reel will lie in a plane of the axis of the supporting elements. As a matter of fact, the point of the reel head tangent to the supporting elements about which the reel will pivot during its up-ending movement will lie in the axis of rotation of the supporting elements, thus eliminating any sliding or displacement of the reel which might result in damage not only to the reel but to the apparatus.

position shown in solid lines in Fig. 1, the operator, through the control means not shown, may cause vertical movement of the rod 4|, causing the element I4 to move about its axis, swinging with it the reel l0 until they reach the positions shown in Fig. 2, at which time the reel has been moved beyond the center of gravity. During this upward movement of the element l4 and the reel the element I5 is also moved upwardly to meet the lower head of the reel at the time the reel moves beyond the center of gravity to serve as a support for the reel as shown in Fig. 2. When in this position the operator, through the control means, releases the pressure beneath thepiston to allow the rod M to move downwardly at the speed desired and as a result thereof the supporting element I5 is lowered with the reel resting thereon to its normal position shown in Fig. l, the supporting element also returning to its normal position, free, however, of the reel. The supporting elements return to their normal positions somewhat in unison, thus utilizing the supporting element [4 to prevent the reel from slipping upon the surface of the element l5. As shown in Fig. 1, the rollers iii are positioned to extend above the upper surface of the element when in its normal position. The element l5, therefore, lowers the reel to a vertical position upon the train of rollers and when the element is in its normal position the reel is free thereof and in a position to be moved laterally toward the wire drawing machine.

The type of hinge or pivot for the element provides a durable structure capable of supporting a great weight yet not projecting above the upper surfaces of the elements or floor level and making it possible for the rocking point of the reel to lie within the axis of the elements.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive is for moving a reel from a rolling position upon one supporting element to a vertical position upon the other supporting element. This is accomplished by forming the cable portion 49 shorter in length than the cable portion 50. The embodiment of the; invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is to illustrate a means whereby either cable portion may be conditioned shorter or longer in length than the other cable portion to condition the apparatus for moving a reel from rolling position to vertical position and if desired back to rolling position again. One means for accomplishing this result is by forming the cable portions 49 and 50 of equal lengths and adding to the ends thereof a desired number of links it]. In place of the members 52, hooks H of the swivel type may be mounted upon the elements l4 and I5 and provided With suitable retaining latches #2 to prevent the links from being freely disconnected therefrom. With this structure it is apparent that either cable portion 49 or 50 may be made of one efiective length by using two of the links 70 or they may be made of a difierent or shorter length by using only one of the links, as shown in Fig.6. The purpose of the swivel connection of the hooks TI is to permit movement thereof to satisfactorily connect with any of the links.

The structure shown for the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. '7 and 8 is identical with the structure shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive with the exception of a frame for supporting the operating means or pneumatic hoist, which means is desirable in places where there is not sumcient head room to support the When the reel is in this position, that is, the pneumatic hoist from the ceiling. In order that the apparatus embodied in Figs. 7 and 8 may be clearly understood without repeating the description of the identical parts like reference numerals to the parts previously described are placed upon these figures. I i

The frame consists of uprights 80, preferably formed of channel members, connected at their upper ends by a cross member 8| of like structure and braced at the back thereof by a transversely extending member 82. The cylinder of the pneumatic hoist is mounted upon the member 82 and has its piston rod M connected to the cable portions 49 and 50. The cable portions extend upwardly and around sheaves 84 rotatably mounted at the upper end of the member 82, the cable portions extending transversely to where they pass around their respective sheaves 8'5 and 86 and downwardly to positions where they are connected to their respective supporting elements M and H5.

It is obvious that the apparatus shown in this embodiment may be disposed in any desired location regardless of the ceiling height. The operation is identical to the operation of the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive with the exception that the pneumatic hoist is mounted upon the frame and the cable portions are drawn upwardly and around sheaves to move the supporting elements M and t5 to the position shown, where the reel is moved beyond the center of gravity so that it may be transferred from the element M and lowered 'by the element upon the train of rollers IS.

The embodiments of the invention herein disclosed are illustrative only and may be widely modified and depai ted from in many Ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as pointed out in and limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An article handling apparatus com-prising elements having amt-icle supponting surfaces normally lying in a common plane and movable about a common axis in the said plane, and means to move the elements to transfer an article from oneelement to the other.

2. An article handling apparatus comprising a tilting and a receiving element to up-end an article, means to normally support the elements in horizontal positions including means to support the elements for pivotal movement, means to locate an articl on the tilting element when the latter is in its normal position, and means to pivot the elements to cause the tilting element to tilt the article to a position beyond the center of gravity and to cause the receiving element to be positioned to receive the article at the said position and move the article to an up-ended position, both elements cooperating to hold the article against movement relative to either element while moving therewith.

3. An article handling apparatus comprising a stationaiy member concavely grooved, supporting elements having convex portions integnal therewith and receivable in the grooved member to movably connect the elements thereto, and means to move the elements to transfer an article from one element to the other.

4. An article handling apparatus comprising supporting elements having integral interposed proj ections with arcu'ate surfaces, a bearing member arcuately grooved to receive the ancuate surfaces of the projections to support the elements for movement about a common axis, and means to move the elements to transfer an article from one element to the other.

5. An article handling apparatus comprising supporting elements, means to hingedly suppont the elements at their adjacent ends for movement relative to each other, a cable connected to each element, a frame, and a moving means mounted upon the frame to cause movement of the cable to move the elements relative to each other on the support to transfer an article from one element to another.

6. An article handling apparatus comprising a stationary member arcuately grooved, a supporting element grooved to receive a circular portion of an article and having spaced projections with arcualte surfaces receivable in the grooved member, a train of rollers, a similar element apentured to receive certain of the rollers of the said train and having spaced projections with arcualt surfaces reoeivable in the grooved member in interfitting relation with the projections oi the first mentioned element, and means to move the elements relative to the member to transfer the article from one of the elements to the other and onto the train of rollers.

'7. An article handling apparatus comprising elements with interntting projections having aligned convex surfaces, a support having an elongate concave groove for the surfaces of the projections to support the elements for movement about a common axis, and means to move the elements about the axis .to transfer an article from one element to the other.

8. An article handling apparatus comprising elements with interiitting projections having flat upper surfaces and aligned convex lower surfaces, a support having an elongate concave groove for the convex lower surfaces of the projections to support the elements for movement about a common axis, and means to move the elements about the axis to transfer an anticle from one element to the other.

JOHN N. SELVIG. JOSEPH E. WILTRAKI'S. 

